The US Embassy in Jamaica has initiated emergency evacuation operations for American citizens as Hurricane Melissa intensifies into a devastating Category 4 storm, threatening the Caribbean island with catastrophic winds and life-threatening flooding.
Emergency Air Bridges Deployed
In an unprecedented move, the State Department has chartered multiple evacuation flights to rescue stranded US tourists from Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. The emergency airlift comes as Hurricane Melissa barrels toward Jamaica with sustained winds reaching 140mph, prompting mass panic among the estimated 30,000 American visitors currently on the island.
Catastrophic Conditions Unfold
Meteorologists are warning that Jamaica faces the most powerful hurricane to hit the region in over a decade. Torrential rainfall exceeding 20 inches has already triggered severe flooding across coastal communities, with storm surges predicted to reach devastating heights of 9-12 feet above normal tide levels.
Critical Travel Advisory Issued
The US Embassy has issued an urgent Level 4 travel advisory, the highest possible warning, instructing all American citizens to evacuate immediately. "This is a life-threatening situation," stated embassy officials. "Commercial flight availability is rapidly diminishing, and we cannot guarantee further evacuation opportunities once the storm makes landfall."
Regional Impact Worsens
While Jamaica bears the brunt of Hurricane Melissa's fury, neighbouring islands including the Cayman Islands and eastern Cuba are also experiencing deteriorating conditions. The storm's massive 60-mile-wide eye continues to strengthen as it moves northwest, creating a path of destruction across the Caribbean Sea.
Emergency shelters across Jamaica have reached capacity as local authorities struggle to manage the dual crisis of evacuating tourists while protecting vulnerable local communities. Power outages and communication blackouts are already being reported in eastern parishes as the storm's outer bands unleash their initial assault.
